How this Top Performing Agent Generates More Referrals on Social Media

By Maggie Wilson
@ Real Estate Daily

December 6, 2017

Building a presence on social media isn’t as simple as it seems. Appearing ingenuous while simultaneously showcasing your business acumen takes quite a bit of forethought. Keller Williams associate Sheri Wolfe from is a great example of a real estate professional who takes the time to create a genuine image on social media. Here’s what she is doing right:

Brief

Showcasing your authentic self, ironically, often takes planning in advance. Your goal is to paint yourself as a real person with normal interests, so clients don’t look at you as a means to an end. For example, Wolfe loves to post videos of herself cheering for the home team at sporting events.

Instead of focusing solely on views, likes and shares, try creating a genuine connection with your audience. “I am very proud of our area,” Wolfe says. “I want people to know it isn’t just about getting the listing. I want everyone in my neighborhood to know I am here.”

Wolfe’s success is proven in the numbers. About 15-20% of her total business comes from social media and an impressive 52% of her local business comes from referrals.

Knowing how often to post is also a big points of contention for many real estate agents. Wolfe says she posts on each platform at least a few times a week. While it is necessary to build a consistent presence on social media, forcing content out every day might not be the best strategy.

If you are going to make a post, make sure it is relevant and adds value for your followers. When Wolfe posts or advertises a listing, for example, she always adds some context to make it relevant for her followers.

“I don’t just post a listing,” Wolfe says. “I place context around the listing by tagging what’s around town near the listing. Then, the places I tag can see the post, which they might not have seen otherwise.” Recently, she continued, a buyer actually contacted her from one of her listing posts, saying that they didn’t realize she covered that part of town.

“You don’t just want to show people a house, you want to show them what’s around it,” she says, referring to local events like football games or school activities.

Try not to be discouraged, however, by posts that don’t do well. Sometimes it’s just hit and miss. “Not every post is a home run, so don’t get discouraged. Some things work, some don’t. It’s all about trying to find out what works for you.”

In addition, after all of your effort towards winning more referrals, you must put in the work to convert. Without converting more referrals, your time and effort put into social media is wasted. Wolfe said she reads every post and comment, reaching out to people if their interaction is strong.

Finally, if you plan on devoting a substantial amount of time to social media, hiring a social media manager or assistant might be the best option. “You can’t be a jack-of-all-trades,” she says. “You have to know what you can do and where you should outsource.” But don’t outsource all of your posts, she continued, because you still need to appear as your genuine self.